Conductor terminal



Dec. 16, 1941. 2,26 ,530

CONDUCTOR TERMINAL Filed Ma'rch 25, 1940 M lNV NTOR 7 B & MW

ATTOR EY.

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT" orator;

I 2,266,530 I v CONDIIGTQR Karl I H Andren,' Milwaukee, Wis., assignorr .to

Artos .Eilgineeringicompany, Milwaukee; Wis,

a corporation'ofwi'sconsin 7 Application March 25, 1940, Serial No..325',707

2 Claims. (Cl. 173-269.)

The present invention .relates in general to improvements ino the construction; of electrical terminal-sc'or: tips, to improved? mode of attachingthe samet'to the ends" of flexible conductors such as insulatedrstranded wires.

An 'objectxofithe invention is to provide. an

improved-' terminat for electrical conductors, whichfis simple in construction; and which can lie-readily and firmlyf appliedto-the end; of an insulated wire soastoprovide a mosteffective ends-ct th conductors, and especially solid wires, soas to-provide a satisfactory connectiom itis more desirable in, the caseot stranded wires or cables, tosolder the terminal-- to the bare =con-- ductoraddition 'to: clamping. Since clampingandcsolderingof the terminal to "the bare end otthe metalwire; inthe case ofrrelatively thin:

multi strandinsulated conductorsirequently results: in breakage of thewire'when the: adjacent wire-portion is bent ora pull is exerted thereon,

and: also results-in withdrawal of the insulation from theterminal saasto bare the adjacent wire portion; it isextremelydesi-rable tocause the terminal to clampingly embrace both the end of thewire and theadjacent end of. the insulation or covering. It is alsodesirable in some types of terminals adapted to cooperate with a solid post or: the like, to provide resiliency in the ter minal attaching portion, and it is furthermore desirable to provide tips which can be readily formed of sheet metal and applied to successive conductors with the aid of automatic machinery.

The present invention therefore contemplates provision of a new and useful conductor terminal or tip, which may b quickly and effectively formed and applied to an insulated multi-strand conductor so as to provide a most efiicient electrical connection while at the same time protecting the wire and preventing undesirable stripping of the insulation away from the terminal.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved conductor terminal which can be readily firmly attached to the bared end of a wire as by clamping and dip soldering or welding, and which is resiliently cooperable with the conducting post to which it is detachably attachable.

Still another specific object of my invention is to provide a sheet metal claw type conductor ing and of applying terminals-made in accordance;-

with the improvement; may be hadby referringto the drawing accompanying and forming-va part of this specification, wherein like reference: characters designate the' same or similar'parts in; the:- variousviews.

Fig.5 1 is :a. considerably" enlarged top view-bfon'e ofsmyimproved: claw terminals showingthesame appliedto the-str-ipped-end or an insulated stranded wire;

.Figg.2 isa side elevationof the assemblage shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is: an end viewof the--terminal lookingtoward the-free end-of the wireyand a Fig; 4 is an opposite? end view-of the terminal and a section throughthe adjacent wire-and. insulation, thesection beingtaken along the line 4 l"of Fig. 2-.

While the: invention has been embodied in a sheet metal terminal having resilient attachingclawsor jaws disposed laterally of the adjacent end'of the stranded wire, it-isnot. the intentzto thereby unnecessarily limit or I restrict the scope or utility of L the: improvement.

Referring to the drawing, ductor terminal shown therein may be formed of a single blank of sheet metal with the aid of punches and dies, and comprises a continuous body portion 1 extending longitudinally of the stranded wire assemblage, and having one set of lateral end flanges 8 adapted to snugly embrace the wire insulation 9; another set of lateral flanges l0 spaced from the flanges 8 and adapted to snugly embrace the bare stranded wire ll near its free end; a pair of resilient claws or jaws I2 projecting laterally past th wire II and insulation 9, and having approximately semicylindrical sockets l3 adapted to engage an attaching element or post; and an end lip l4 projecting outwardly beyond the clamping flanges l I! and adapted to be dip soldered to the extreme ends l5 of the wire strands.

The blanks from which the improved terminals are formed, may be cut from metal sheet stock with the aid of a punch, and may be subsequently formed and applied to the stripped end of the the: improved conwire II and to the adjacent insulation with the aid of simple distorting and folding dies. The flanges 8 which are approximately semi-circular in form, are folded directly toward each other and should be brought inwardly sufliciently to compress the relatively pliable insulation 9 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that the extreme end portion of the insulating covering will bulge outwardly beyond the flanges 8. The flange In which are folded directly toward each other over the bared end portion of the stranded wire II should be brought into snug direct clamping contact with this wire portion; and while the .free end of the flanges 8 may be parallel to the wire axis, the free ends of the flanges II) are preferably disposed diagonally or at an oblique angle to the axis of the wire I I so as to provide an overlap as shown in Fig. 1. The compressed extreme free end I5 of the stranded wire II is preferably distorted to contact with the lip I4, and the ends of the strands are soldered or welded to each other and to this lip I4 as' well as to the flanges II]. Th parallel flat flanges I2, which like the semi-circular flanges 8, III are formed integral with the body portion I, are relativel resilient,

and the sockets I3 are carried by the extreme outer ends of these resilient flat flanges I2.

The improved terminals may obviously be applied to the stripped ends of successive stranded wires I I in rapid succession and with simple forming or shearing and crimping dies, and when properly applied, the terminal will obviously effectively resist removal by end pulling thereon, and will also prevent ready stripping of the insulation 9 away from the zone of attachment of the terminal. The improved assemblage will also protect the strands of the wire I I against breakage due to repeated bending of the wire adjacent the zone of attachment of the terminal, and the extreme end I5 of each wire I I may be effectively soldered to the lip I4 of the sheet metal terminal. The relatively long flanges I2 will obviously provide desired resiliency in the support for the sockets I3, and the sets of flanges 8, I0 provide a firm support for the flanges I2 and sockets I3, disposed on opposite sides of the resilient flanges and firmly embracing the wire at spaced points. The terminals may also be produced with relatively slight waste of material, by virtue of the fact that the flanges 8, II] are disposed about within the length of stock from which the sockets I3 are formed, and are also disposed within the inner edges of these portions of the stock. The terminal assemblage is especially adapted for application to very small and frail stranded wires or cables, having insulation which is not too securely attached to the wire.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction, or to the precise mode of application of the terminals, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, an insulated electrical conductor wire having the insulation stripped from its end, an elongated flat metal base snugly engaging the bottom of the stripped end and of the adjoininginsulation and having a series of three independent sets of upwardly directed integral flanges disposed at the opposite sides of the wire and also having an integral end projection extending beyond said flanges flush with the extreme stripped end of the wire and attached thereto by fusion of metal, the end set of flanges adjacent to said projection being wrapped snugly about the stripped wire and the opposite end set of flanges being wrapped snugly about the adjoining insulation, and the intermediate set of flanges extending upwardly a considerable distance beyond the top of the wire and insulation and having oppositely concave contact shoes forming a socket of approximately the same length as the overall distance from end to end of said flanges.

2. In combination, an insulated multi-strand electrical conductor wire having the insulation stripped from its end, an elongated flat metal base snugly engaging the bottom of the stripped end and of the adjoining insulation and having a series of three segregated sets of upwardly directed integral flanges disposed at the opposite sides of the wire and also having an integral end projection extending beyond said flanges flush with the extreme stripped end of the wire and soldered thereto above the base, the end set of flanges adjacent to said projection being wrapped snugly about the stripped wire strands and the opposite end set of flanges being wrapped snugly about the adjoining insulation, and the intermediate set of flanges extending upwardly a considerable distance beyond the top of the wire and insulation and having integral elongated contact shoes forming a resilient socket of approximately the same length as the overall distance from one end of said flanges to the other.

KARL H. ANDREN. 

